Sanvitalia plant named ‘Starbini’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Sanvitalia  plant named ‘Starbini’, characterized by its compact, outwardly spreading and low-mounded plant habit; freely branching habit and short internodes, dense and bushy plants; dark green-colored foliage; long and freely flowering habit with flowers held just above and beyond the foliage; and single daisy inflorescence form with yellow-colored ray florets.

Botanical designation: Sanvitalia speciosa.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Starbini’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Sanvitalia plant, botanically known as Sanvitalia speciosa and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Starbini’.

The new Sanvitalia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Deitingen, Switzerland. The objective of the program is to create and develop new compact Sanvitalia cultivars with numerous inflorescences and attractive ray floret coloration.

The new Sanvitalia originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventor of two unnamed Sanvitalia speciosa seedling selections, not patented. The new Sanvitalia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Deitingen, Switzerland in 2001. The selection of the new Sanvitalia was based on its compact and freely flowering habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new Sanvitalia by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Deitingen, Switzerland since 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Sanvitalia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Sanvitalia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of ‘Starbini’ and distinguish the new Sanvitalia as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, outwardly spreading and low-mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit and short internodes, dense and bushy         plants.     -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   4. Long and freely flowering habit with flowers held just above         and beyond the foliage.     -   5. Single daisy inflorescence form with yellow-colored ray         florets.

Plants of the new Sanvitalia differ from plants of the parent selections primarily in plant growth habit as plants of the new Sanvitalia are more uniform and more compact than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Sanvitalia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Dittsun, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,140. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Deitingen, Switzerland, plants of the new Sanvitalia differed from plants of the cultivar Dittsun in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Sanvitalia were more outwardly spreading         than and not as upright as plants of the cultivar Dittsun.     -   2. Plants of the new Sanvitalia and the cultivar Dittsun         differed in leaf coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Sanvitalia.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Starbini’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a close-up view of typical leaves and inflorescences of ‘Starbini’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and averaged measurements describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif., in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse during the fall with day temperatures ranging from 13° C. to 35° C. and night temperatures ranging from 4° C. to 13° C. Plants were grown for about 14 weeks in 15-cm containers. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Sanvitalia speciosa cultivar Starbini. -   Parentage: Cross-pollination of two unnamed seedling selection of     Sanvitalia speciosa, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 14 days at 20° C. to             22° C. Winter: About 18 days at 20° C. to 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Summer: About 21 days at             18° C. to 20° C. Winter: About 25 days at 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine; white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Compact, outwardly spreading and             low-mounding plant form with dense foliage and             inflorescences held just above and beyond the foliage.             Moderately vigorous growth habit. Freely branching habit             with four primary lateral branches each with secondary             lateral branches potentially developing at every node; dense             and bushy plant habit.         -   Plant height.—About 15 cm.         -   Plant width, per plant.—About 40 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 26 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Internode length: About 2.5 cm to 3 cm. Aspect:             Initially upright then falling outwardly. Texture: Slightly             pubescent. Color: 148B tinged with 183A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Length:             About 2.4 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex:             Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent and coarse.             Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and fully             expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, 147B.             Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B;             venation, 147D. Petiole length: About 3 mm. Petiole             diameter: About 2.5 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Slightly pubescent. Petiole color, upper surface:             147D. Petiole color, lower surface: 147C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Single daisy composite inflorescence form with             ligulate ray florets. Disc and ray florets arranged             acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences held upright on             terminal and axillary peduncles. Inflorescences upright to             outward and perpendicular to the peduncles. Inflorescences             persistent. Inflorescences not fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Long flowering season; plants flower             continuously from April to October in Southern California.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about seven to             ten days on the plant.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering, about 250             inflorescence buds and open inflorescences per plant.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 1.7 cm. Depth (height):             About 6 mm. Diameter of disc: About 6 mm. Receptacle             diameter: About 1.3 cm. Receptacle height: About 3 mm.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About             7 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: 144A.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 13 arranged             in a single whorl. Shape: Ligulate to elliptic. Length:             About 8 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Apex: Slightly emarginate.             Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Aspect: Initially             upright; when mature, about 75° from vertical; apices             recurved. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper             surface: 13A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:             144B to 144C.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at the center of the             inflorescence. Quantity per inflorescence: About 88. Shape:             Tubular, five-parted at apex; apex, acute; base, fused.             Length: About 3 mm. Diameter, apex: About 1 mm. Diameter,             base: Less than 1 mm. Color: Immature: 144A. Mature, apex:             146C. Mature, mid-section: 148D. Mature, base: 150D.         -   Involucral bracts (phyllaries).—Quantity per inflorescence:             About five arranged in a single whorl. Length: About 6 mm.             Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Ovate to elliptic. Apex: Acute.             Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Slightly pubescent. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: 146A.         -   Peduncle.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to horizontal.             Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 148B tinged with 183A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Quantity per floret: Five. Anther shape: Oblong.             Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 145A. Amount of             pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: 145A. Gynoecium: Quantity per             floret: One. Pistil length: About 4 mm. Stigma shape:             Rounded. Stigma color: 145B. Style length: About 2 mm. Style             color: 145B to 145C. Ovary color: 144B. Seed/fruit: Seed and             fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Sanvitalias has not been observed on plants grown under commercial     conditions. -   Temperature/weather tolerance: Plants of the new Sanvitalia have     been observed to be tolerant to rain, wind and to temperatures from     2° C. to 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Sanvitalia plant named ‘Starbini’, as illustrated and described. 